1
2
: showing reluctance to make a definite commitment
a coy response
coyly
adverb
coyness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of coy in a Sentence
Adjective
It is distinctly odd to read a whole page dedicated to Hitler's life and character without a reference to his anti-Semitism. To say that Swiss banks contained gold coming from the bank accounts, the jewelry boxes, and the teeth of "concentration camp victims" is a little coy.
—
Ian Buruma, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000
Rival camps are terrified that Bush will reject federal matching funds and the campaign-spending limits they impose, and Bush's aides are coy on the subject.
—John F. Dickerson, Time, 8 Mar. 1999
And there's Julia, the charming "chatterbot" (a text-based computer character), whose coy pickup banter echoes that of real-life Internet flirts.
—Michiko Kakutani, Albany (New York) Times-Union, 20 Aug. 1997
I didn't like her coy manner.
He gave a coy answer.
Ian Buruma, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000
Rival camps are terrified that Bush will reject federal matching funds and the campaign-spending limits they impose, and Bush's aides are coy on the subject.
—John F. Dickerson, Time, 8 Mar. 1999
And there's Julia, the charming "chatterbot" (a text-based computer character), whose coy pickup banter echoes that of real-life Internet flirts.
—Michiko Kakutani, Albany (New York) Times-Union, 20 Aug. 1997
I didn't like her coy manner.
He gave a coy answer.
Recent Examples on the WebJackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
The film itself isn’t that coy — Owen and Maddy attend classes at Void High School, i.e. VHS — but this point is whispered lightly through parallel cuts of Owen and Isabel walking through forests and a glimpse of Maddy urging him to step into a dress.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for coy 
Adjective
So on Tuesday, the hit Showtime series played on its cannibalistic (er, survivalist) series theme by sharing a coy announcement that production has begun on the forthcoming third season.
—Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
The film itself isn’t that coy — Owen and Maddy attend classes at Void High School, i.e. VHS — but this point is whispered lightly through parallel cuts of Owen and Isabel walking through forests and a glimpse of Maddy urging him to step into a dress.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for coy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coy
Cite this Entry
“Coy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coy. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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